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Coronavirus: European Tour cancels BMW International Open and Open de France

Two of the European Tour's most prestigious events - the BMW International Open and Open de France - have been cancelled due to coronavirus.

By Ryan Benson
international open

London, April 17: The European Tour has announced the cancellation of the BMW International Open and Open de France due to the ongoing threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to the emergence of COVID-19, the two tournaments were initially scheduled to be played from June 25-28 in Munich and from July 2-5 near Paris, respectively.

But the impact of the virus has caused mass disruption across most industries in Europe, while the French government has banned all mass public gatherings until mid-July.

The news comes a day after the PGA Tour confirmed it will resume its tournaments behind closed doors as early as the second week of June.

Friday's announcement also revealed the Scottish Open – due to go start on July 9 – has been postponed, with a new date to be discussed.

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: "The decision to cancel the BMW International Open, which has been a cornerstone of the European Tour calendar for three decades, and the Open de France, one of our most historic national Opens was made in consultation with our long-term partner BMW and the French Golf Federation respectively with public health and well-being the absolute priority for all of us.

"Both Germany and France have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus, and our thoughts go out to everyone affected in both countries, as well as elsewhere around the world.

"We have also decided to postpone the Scottish Open, which is part of our prestigious Rolex Series. Discussions about the possibility of rescheduling this event will continue as we look at a variety of different scenarios for our schedule for when it is safe and permitted to resume playing.

"We will only announce details of these plans when we have clarity on the global situation."

Story first published: Friday, April 17, 2020, 19:33 [IST]
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